


Nosedive

by BlackMajjicDuchess



Series: Nosedive [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alcohol, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Beer, Bromance, Depression, Drunken Confessions, Drunken Kissing, Drunken Shenanigans, Drunkenness, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hero Worship, Love Triangles, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-15
Updated: 2014-03-28
Packaged: 2018-01-12 11:47:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1185867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackMajjicDuchess/pseuds/BlackMajjicDuchess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He'd always been there for her, but it wasn't until he'd seen her get hurt that he understood how deeply he cared. He vowed to always be there for her. He loved her, but she had always been obsessed with Naruto. That was okay with him, he supposed. It was all over, though, when she confessed her love to Naruto, he was sure of it. But then the war came and went, and the years came and went, and nothing came of it. She deserved better than that. She'd put everything on the line for a chance with Naruto. Now he would do the same for her. Inuzukas aren't known for their patience, he was told. If you wanted something, you just went for it.</p><p>I've listed this as part of a "series" because it is the brain child of two oneshots I had written beforehand. You do not need to read them to understand or enjoy "Nosedive."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nip

**Author's Note:**

> Previously posted on fanfiction.net under the same pen name on 8/16/2012
> 
> Casually enjoyed alcohol, raging alcoholism, a strong helping of cuss words, angst, fluffy romance, some suggestive material (no lemons), allusion to one night stands, etc. I like to think this is one of my more realistic stories. No crazy jutsus, no OCs, just some good old relationship and family drama, and friends being good friends.
> 
> I've actually never lent a thought in the world to Kiba and Hinata ending up together until I wrote, like, a one paragraph scene in The Perfect Surprise, which evolved into Onesided, and then became this. I sometimes write couples I don't necessarily agree with, but I am inspired to write a story that I think fits them well. I know a lot of you who will read this are diehard Kiba/Hinata fans. After deciding to write this and then getting really into it, I feel like I understand you more, and I like Kiba a lot more now. ^_^ I hope I will not let you down.

Chapter One: Nip

"Kiba, it's okay, I know where my own house is and there aren't any creepy killer guys in the Village." She smiled at him, trying to reassure him.

No matter what she said, he always walked her home. He had had varying reasons for it, though. When they were first placed on the same team, he walked her home because she was really quiet and he wanted to get to know her. His mother had raised him to have an intense respect for women, and he knew it was the polite thing to do to walk a girl home. He just hadn't realized, then, that it was polite to do after a date with that girl. Oops. After that first time she'd been endangered on a mission, though, he felt something stir deep within him, and he had felt a need to protect her. No matter that the Village seemed like a safe enough place. Whenever she was not at home with her family, safe, he felt an incredible urge to be near her in case he was needed.

And now?

"I know, Hinata. I just like spending time with you." He smiled back at her, knowing she would not deny him that. She was too nice. If walking with her made someone happy, she'd let him walk with her. It was one of the things he loved about her.

"Oh, okay," was all she said, content with that.

They walked together in companionable silence, each of them with hands in their pockets, Akamaru padding quietly at his side. This was the highlight of Kiba's day. It was the only time during the day when he was alone with her. Every day after their training time, Shino went his separate way toward his home and Kiba walked Hinata home. It didn't matter that her house was on the opposite side of the village. He wanted to do it.

Most people would say that they didn't quite realize that they were in love with their best friend until it just kind of happened. He wasn't most people. He remembered the exact moment. It was during their chunin exams, when he realized that she might be matched up against Neji. All he could think about was how badly she could get hurt, and he fretted. She hadn't been particularly strong then, even though he knew she could be. Neji was something else; he was probably the smartest and strongest of all of them back then. Kiba had even told her that if she was matched up against him or Gaara (who back then was utterly demonic) that she should quit so she didn't get killed.

He'd been taken to the clinic after his match with Naruto and hadn't seen the fight with Neji. What he had seen was her laid out on a stretcher as the medics raced by, shouting for doctors and things. When he heard the words "cardiac arrest," he'd nearly had one himself. He'd tried to follow her, but his own doctor glared at him and held him down. "Absolutely not," she'd said.

"That's my teammate!" he tried to tell her.

He'd never forget the bullshit thing she said next. "Maybe."

He'd have gone anyway if she hadn't shot him with a sedative and knocked him out. The next time he woke, Shino was there and Akamaru was asleep next to him. When Kiba raised an eyebrow at Shino, he shrugged. "Kurenai-sensei is with Hinata, but she didn't want you to think we didn't care."

"How is she?" he asked, worried.

"Bad," he replied. "Really bad."

That was not what he had wanted to hear. "What in the hell happened to her?" He got out of the nasty smelling hospital cot, grabbed his jacket and scooped up his dog.

"Neji Hyuuga happened to her. She was strong, though. It was a good match. She didn't quit, and she kept him moving. She pissed him off, and he almost killed her." Shino stood, noticing that they were about to go.

"I'm gonna kill him," he growled. Akamaru barked his agreement, now awake.

The whole time she had been in the hospital, he never left her side. He had tried to warn her, but he wasn't there to protect her and she still got hurt. He vowed as she lay there that it would never happen again. If someone was out to kill her, they'd have to go through him and Akamaru first.

She thought she was in love with Naruto, though, and it was something he was struggling with. He understood why; she and Naruto shared their determination against all odds in common. He had inspired her to never quit because no one had believed in him either. She felt a kinship with him, since both had been outcasts growing up. Yeah, he understood. He just wasn't too cool with it. He wanted her to realize that she was not that little girl anymore. He wanted her to be aware of how beautiful she was, inside and out. He wished that she would accept her newly found confidence and look at everyone else instead of Naruto. Yes, Naruto was an important part of her past, but Kiba wanted to be an important part of her future.

He started by walking her home every day. Then, gradually, he made his interest known. He bought her birthday presents. Nice ones, too. The kind that said "I'm a guy and you're a pretty girl that I like" but not "We've been together forever and I spent half my wallet on this." He'd bought her some nice chocolates, a really pretty glass bead bracelet, and a mother-of-pearl inlay jewelry box. She thanked him, but he didn't think she really understood what was going on. He wondered if she had that in common with Naruto, too.

So, he decided he needed to make the first move. As they arrived at the entrance to the Hyuuga grounds, he stopped her from walking in. "Hey, Hinata," he said, grabbing her hand. She faced him, unsure of what he was doing, but trusting him nonetheless. She waited for him to speak. "I know how you feel about Naruto." She had confessed her love to him on a battlefield, actually, but nothing had come of it despite the war being over. "I want you to know that I feel the same way about you." Her eyes widened. Speech time. "I know that he is the reason you've worked so hard to be strong. I know you have history with him. He's everyone's hero, honestly. Mine, too. What girl wouldn't be fascinated by that guy?" He paused. "But… you're not a failure. You aren't the only one that believes in you. You aren't weird, or useless. You're beautiful, strong, and confident now. You shouldn't be chasing after guys to get them to like you. Guys should be chasing after you to get you to like them. I like you," he ended quietly. "No, that's not quite right." He pulled her closer, strong arms wrapped around her back, pressing her into his body. Then he kissed her. It was a nice, chaste, goodnight kind of kiss. The kind that promises more but leaves you without. He'd never really done it before, but he poured all of his heart and soul into that kiss. It was the only one he was going to take from her. After that, if he was ever going to be kissing her again, it was going to be because she wanted him to. She let herself be kissed, but she was stiff with surprise. When he broke contact with her lips he rested his forehead on hers. "I've loved you for a long time now, and if you decide you want me, I'm yours."

He let her go, then. She was staring at him, dazed. He smiled, wanting to laugh but not daring. He didn't want to embarrass her. But then, deciding that she had forgotten where her house was after all, he placed one hand on her shoulder and turned her, giving her the slightest push toward her home. And then, because he couldn't resist, he gave her a pat on the butt to push her, too. Akamaru barked and wagged his tail.

His individual walk home was joyful. He felt thrilled. Even if she never chose to go out with him, he was going to remember that kiss for the rest of his life. He felt like a badass, like he had game. He felt he'd executed that perfectly. Hands in his pockets, he whistled nonsensical tunes all the way to his door. Akamaru wagged his tail the whole time. He, of course, knew all about Kiba's heart's desire. Akamaru and Kiba were best buds, and he hoped Kiba would get his wish. That's what buddies were for, after all.

When he opened the door to the house, his mother smirked at him. "What are you so happy about? I've listened to your whistling for like, the past ten minutes."

"Nothing, Mom," he said with a shit eating grin on his face that told her exactly the opposite.

"I know that look. I've seen it before right before your skeeze of a father hit the road. There's a girl, huh?" When talking about his father, the word 'father' was always precluded by an insult. Mocking his father was a common denominator in the house. They all did it. The more they talked about it and painted the picture of a jerkbag the less it seemed to matter. They didn't need him anyway.

"No, there's not a girl."

Tsume frowned. "You don't mean… more than one girl?" Her tone was warning. This was one of those too much information moments and she was about to lose her temper. No son of hers was going to play the field.

"No, Mom. It's the girl. I'm going to marry this one. And if she won't have me I don't want anyone else." He started heading for the kitchen. It was his go-to move. Even if he wasn't hungry he liked to paw through the cupboards just to see.

"Alright, well, who is it then? And don't tell me it's Hinata."

First bummer moment of the day. He backed up a few steps so he could see her again before he answered. "What do you have against Hinata?" He felt his blood starting to heat. He sincerely hoped he was not about to have to battle his mother.

"Nothing at all, really, but she's your teammate."

"So?"

"What if something happens?"

"What do you mean, 'what if something happens?' Like what?"

"You'll probably have fights."

"Not with her. She doesn't like fighting."

"That won't matter. What if you break up?"

"I just told you I wanted to marry her. We won't break up. I mean, if we start dating anyway."

"You're not even dating her yet?"

"Well, no. I just kissed her, though." He grinned.

"You WHAT?!"

"I'm not having this conversation. Bye, Mom." He went back to the kitchen.

Tsume, of course, was hot on his heels. She slammed the cupboard shut that he had just opened, splintering it. Her face was furious, eyes narrowed at him. When she spoke, her voice was even and challenging. "Come again?"

Of a height with her now at nineteen years old, he matched her glare for glare. "I'm in love with Hinata. Have been for most of the time we've been on the same team. I just told her today, and I kissed her. I don't want anyone else. Now, if you have a problem with that, too damned bad. There's nothing you can do to keep me from her. My mind is made up." He punched a hole through the cupboard and extracted the package of chocolate cream sandwich cookies*. He never took his eyes off his mother as he popped one in his mouth and crunched on it, loudly.

The stare down lasted a few minutes. Then Hana walked in, probably attracted by the commotion. "What's going on, guys?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

Tsume's glare dropped. "Your brother's found himself a girlfriend."

Hana pretended to be shocked. "You mean he's not gay? Pay up, Ma."

"She's not my girlfriend yet. I told her that I wanted her to be and I let her think about it," Kiba said, exasperated.

"Why would you let her think about it?" Tsume asked. "Get the damned girl and keep her."

Hana agreed with her mother. "She's right. You know if you give a girl time to think she'll think."

"That's the point," Kiba growled, getting annoyed.

"No, I mean she'll think herself out of it. She'll think up all the problems with it—"

"And she'll have the sense to consider that you're on the same team—" Tsume added.

"—And she'll think about how bad you stink—"

"I do not stink!" he snarled.

"You do, I can smell you from here," Tsume laughed.

Hana held her hands up, smiling. "Wait a second… Hinata?" She looked at her brother, eyebrow raised.

Kiba relaxed. "Yeah.

"That explains it," Hana laughed. "You're practically wearing her scent."

"Ahh!" his mother agreed, laughing too.

"Alright, that's it!" Kiba shouted, tackling Tsume and knocking her into Hana. The three of them wrestled, snarling, growling, and biting, laughing in between. This was a normal day in their household. They were a fighting breed. They fought each other fiercely and loved each other fiercely. Perhaps that was why quiet, shy Hinata fascinated him so much. He punched his sister on the top of her head. "Take it back, bitch! Take it back!"

Despite being clocked on the head, she laughed. "Alright, fine, I take it back." Kiba let her up. "She doesn't stink." Then she flashed her mischief grin. "But you definitely do. Bye, bro!" She vanished from the kitchen. He didn't bother to go after her.

His mother picked herself off the floor and dusted off with a huge smile on her face. "Good times, puppy, good times." Then she grabbed him roughly and dragged him into a bear hug, rubbing his head with her knuckles.

"Stop it, Mom!" he protested.

"What's the fun of being a mom if I can't harass you?" she teased, then released him. "Anyway, on a more serious note… okay."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Okay? What does that mean?"

"You know I support you no matter what, Kiba. If you want to date the Hyuuga girl, you go on ahead. But be careful. If anything does happen between the two of you, it's going to make your team very uncomfortable. Mmkay?"

"Yeah, Mom. Got it. Thanks." He gave her a hug, then went back to raiding the cupboards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun first chapter. :) The Inuzukas are fun people. I think they'd be a cool family to know, at the very least. My favorite part of this chapter is where Kiba punches a hole in the cupboard for the cookies. I can totally visualize that part in my mind. :) Spare a review?
> 
> *Oreos, obviously. Never liked them myself, but most people seem to be obsessed with them.
> 
> This story is precluded by 2 oneshots, "The Perfect Surprise" and "Onesided." It is not necessary to read them to enjoy this story, but if you're curious to track my thinking into how I ended up here, you may want to read them. They're short. :) Thanks for reading!


	2. Bow

He lay awake that night, his heart filled with hope. He felt invincible. He'd laid his heart out bare to her, and he was certain he'd done so well at it that she'd think it over and seek him out. He'd already spent a lot of time daydreaming about their lives together. He wanted all of her secret smiles. He wanted to be in her thoughts. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, inhale her scent, and fall asleep. Every now and then, he'd admonish himself for getting too far ahead in his dream sequence, but he couldn't help it. He was imagining her bright and happy in a white dress, making the walk towards him. He was imagining her tending a small flower garden and smiling at him when he noticed. He saw their kids, all with her pale, pretty eyes and his messy brown hair, and they would grow up to be excellent, respectful ninja.

Yeah, he was a dreamer. The direction of his thoughts were so lofty they put Shikamaru's clouds to shame. Finally exhausted enough, he cracked his jaw with one huge yawn. Akamaru whined and yawned, too. He hated it when Kiba yawned, because yawning is contagious. Then, he pulled the covers up to his chin, curled up, and fell asleep.

He picked her up in the morning for training. She was avoiding eye contact and blushing prettily. He decided it would probably be easier for her if he talked about something else. _Remember, Hinata, friends first,_  he thought. He might be able to survive if she didn't love him in return, but he didn't want her to believe that they couldn't still be friends no matter what.

"Been a while since we went on any missions, huh?" he asked conversationally.

"Yeah," she answered.

"I guess it's hard to find a mission when all the great countries are more or less friendly now, huh?"

"I suppose."

"I don't know how the jounin do it. It's so lame when there aren't any missions. Training is fine and all, but come on! I want to fight!"

She smiled but said nothing.

"Maybe that's why all of them are raging alcoholics. There's nothing to do!"

"Maybe."

"I do like whiskey. Want to go to the bar after training today?"

She hesitated. He realized his mistake. He'd just asked her out. Like on a date. He cursed himself for rashness. He didn't want to scare her off. They hung out all the time is all, and he liked her company. He hurriedly tried to fix the situation. "You don't have to. It's not like that. I just didn't think it was a good idea to go get a drink by myself."

She began shaking her head before he was finished speaking. "No, it's okay. I do want to go." She paused. "With you." Finally, blessedly, she met his eyes. The tiniest spark flickered between them, and it was his turn to blush and look away.

His heart started pounding for absolutely no reason. He took a deep breath and let it all out in a rush, trying to calm down. "Okay. Cool," he said, unable to stop the smile that lit upon his face. And then, hoping he wasn't being too brave, he wrapped his fingers around hers.

She blushed, but she tightened her fingers on his, too. They exchanged a quick smile, suddenly both shy. They walked the rest of the way in silence. He was beside himself with happiness, just enjoying that she was accepting his attention. He didn't even need to talk. Just having there with her hand in his was enough.

Training flew by. He was distracted pretty much the entire time. Shino was kind of an asshole about it, too. "What's up with you two today?" he asked irritably. "Am I the only one that cares today or what?"

"Sorry, Shino," he said honestly. He was, too. He didn't want to ruin training. He tried, he really did, but he just couldn't focus today. "Just a little distracted today is all." He aimed a smile at Hinata. She blushed and smiled and looked at her toes.

"Oh," Shino shot back. "I see. Because that makes it all okay. I'll just work on something else today, then." He stalked away in a huff.

Kiba sighed and looked to Hinata. They laughed, feeling a little guilty about the whole scenario. "Oops," he said, shrugging. "I guess happy hour is starting a little early then." He grabbed her hand. It was easier to do this time, and she responded more quickly, too. He grinned at her and led her off to the bar. Akamaru knew he wasn't allowed in the bar, so he went home without Kiba. He probably wanted a nap anyway. He usually liked a good nap after training.

Senju's was the new bar in town. It had only been open for about two years now. Tsunade was the owner, though she was still Hokage. She basically found a bitchin' bar tender, explained how she wanted everything done, and let him go with it. It was more like Iago's bar than hers, but he was firmly loyal to her and business was apparently good. For the first time in her life, Tsunade had made a gamble that was paying off, and she was finally catching up on some of her personal debts. Iago was making good money off of it, too, and he had quickly become everyone's favorite person. No one had any idea where he had come from, but he tended a good bar. Sometimes he and the boys came here just to hang out. Sometimes the girls came, too. Every time was a good time. Mistakes even happened a few times, but everyone kind of expected it and just kind of laughed it off. Kiba was pretty certain Naruto had scored both Sakura and Ino at separate instances. Ino couldn't hold her liquor and Sakura blacked out if she drank too much. Naruto didn't take much to get drunk, and any man without his wits would fall into bed with a willing girl. Neji and Tenten had hooked up, too, many times, but Neji refused to let it turn into a relationship. That guy was only fun when he was drinking, at which point he was actually a lot of fun.

Kiba pulled out a chair at the bar for Hinata. She'd only ever come here with them when most of the group came. They had never come here alone like this. Iago walked up to them, wiping a glass so it shone. "Kiba, Hinata," he greeted with a smile. "On a date?"

"No," he said at the same time she said "yes." They looked at each other and she giggled. "I guess we are, then," he said, smiling at Iago.

"Splendid. The usual, then?" The great thing about Iago was that he remembered everybody and what they drank. He was that bartender that you lay claim to, the "my bartender." If you had a bad day, he listened and offered advice. If you didn't want to talk, he kept your drink full, and he wasn't enough of a dick to let you drink yourself to death so he could take your money. No, he found you a place to sleep in the back, fed you breakfast, and gave you all the things you needed to nurse a rockin' hangover: vitamins, a glass of pickle juice, and a lot of water. He didn't judge your problems or your shame in the morning, and he didn't ask too many questions.

Furthermore, since the war, Tsunade had passed an addendum to the alcohol law. Anyone with a Leaf Village headband was allowed to drink now. It was called the "If You Can Die, You Can Drink" law. No ninja tools were allowed inside though. Bar fights were not very common, but when they happened, no one needed a weapon in their hand. It also helped when dealing with untested twelve year olds who didn't quite grasp the concept of death yet. And, no one dared fake a headband. Too many ninjas came to this bar, and if they didn't know who you were, you didn't drink.

Yep. It was the perfect bar. Tsunade was quite the local hero because of it.

"I'll have my usual, yeah. Hinata?"

"I'll have something new today, I think. But frozen."

Iago set the bottle of whiskey down in front of Kiba and a glass of ice. He only drank the good stuff. It wasn't cheap, but he didn't really spend his money on anything else. He had a lot already saved up and a little treat here and there made him feel happy. He leaned on the bar. "How about a margarita, sweetie?"

"What is it?" she asked, curious.

"It's a sour, tangy one made with lime juice and tequila."

"I'll give it a try, sure. Thanks, Iago."

"Anytime." Within moments, she had a beautiful frozen pale green concoction in her hand and was sipping away happily.

Kiba rested both his elbows on the bar and leaned on it. Hinata crossed her ankles and sat up straight, her margarita held between both hands. He looked at her, wondering at the drink choice. Tequila, really? "Is it good?"

She nodded. "Yummy. Want to try?" She held it out to him.

He didn't particularly liked mixed beverages, but what the hell. "Sure, thanks. Want to try this?" She shook her head. "Oh come on, it's only fair." He smiled at her and wagged the cup. She smiled and relented, accepting the offering. He sipped at the margarita. It was sour, cold, and tasted like booze. He wrinkled his nose. "It's… not bad, but I don't think I'd want more than one of those if I ordered it."

"Why not?" she asked, waving the glass under her nose. "This smells  _really_  strong. You just drink this straight?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I like it with ice, but some people don't. It's a sin to mix whiskey like that with anything else. And no, if you drink too many of those specialty cocktails, you get sick. They've got too much going on in 'em, sugars and stuff. It's the sweet cocktails that make you sick and have the most calories. Straight whiskey? No problem."

"Oh, that's really interesting." She sipped. "Oh my goodness," she exclaimed, sputtering. "That's awful!"

He retrieved the glass from her so she didn't waste any of it, making a show of being hurt by her outburst. "Well that's not very nice." He kissed the glass and spoke to it. "She didn't mean it."

She chased it with her margarita and sighed. "That's better. Sorry. I don't know how you drink that."

"That's the beauty of alcohol, sweetie. There's a little something for everyone. Everybody's got their own highly specialized set of favorites," Iago spoke to them from where he stood behind the bar. It was a slow day. Not many people drinking at eleven a.m. on a Monday. "I've got a guy comes in here wants a glass that has grapefruit vodka, grenadine, lime juice, three limes, two olives, a touch of bitters, muddled citrus, and a touch of pale ale, no ice, and drinks it out of a mason jar."

"You're kidding, right?" Kiba asked incredulously. In response, Iago opened up a cooler and lofted a mason jar that he kept in its special place beneath the counter. It was foggy from being chilled. He raised an eyebrow as if to say "See?" Kiba burst out laughing. "Wow, that's insane. Who?"

"A good bartender does not give his customers fodder to use against each other. You'll just have to be more observant." He winked at Hinata, who laughed. He walked a short distance down the bar to give them their space.

"That's hilarious," she said, laughing. "This is fun!"

He smiled at her and meant it. "I'm glad you're happy. I'm happy, too."

Suddenly her face got serious, and she set the margarita down on the bar. "Kiba…" She bit her lip and frowned. "I'm not… very good at this."

"What, exactly?" he asked, setting his whiskey down, too.

She shrugged. "Feelings. Relationships. Knowing what to do."

He chuckled. "It's not that hard, Hinata. We're doing it right now. The way I understand it, having a girlfriend or boyfriend is just like having a really good friend, except you can kiss whenever you want. It's a partner in life, kind of like having a teammate." He laced his fingers behind his back and leaned back on the bar chair.

She didn't look convinced. "I don't know, it just seems so complicated when you think about it." Kiba's smile slipped, remembering his mother and sister warning him about girls having time to think. "What if I'm bad at things?"

He smirked and tried another tactic. "Well. How long have we been teammates?"

"Like… seven years." She blinked, not sure where he was going with this.

"Yep. We've been teammates and friends for seven years. You already know just about everything about me. I know an awful lot about you, too. That means there won't really be any surprises. You've met my family, I've met yours. You know all of my friends because they are your friends, too. It's really easy when you think about it. And, in the seven years I've really known you, you only ever make me want to be around you more. There's nothing you can do that will scare me away. And you think you'll be bad at things?"

She nodded. "You know, relationship things." She blushed and looked away.

"If you mean the kissing, don't worry about it. I've never done it either." He grinned.

"Really? I could have sworn…" she trailed off and blushed deeper.

He felt his heartbeat quicken.  _She thought he was a good kisser!_ His smile spread even wider. "Yeah, don't worry about it. It will be fine. And as for everything else, no hurry. I wasn't planning on giving myself to anyone I wasn't married to. But keep that on the down low. Guys usually think that's weird and our guy friends have loud mouths, every single one. Well," he added after a thought, "Neji probably wouldn't judge me. He seems pretty chill."

He saw her visibly relax. Had she really been that worried about it? "Oh good," she breathed. "I was scared."

He scooted his stool closer and wrapped an arm around her slim shoulders. Then he dragged his drink closer and gave hers a tiny push toward her. "You stop worrying your pretty little head, Hinata. Right now, we're just cozy friends enjoying a drink." He winked and smiled.

She smiled back, more at ease now, and sipped on her margarita.

A few more whiskeys and another margarita later, they were pleasantly tipsy and laughing often. He was bursting with joy at the situation, and she seemed to be having a good time, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My thoughts on Kiba, and how I am trying to write him-in Shippuden we see Kiba more with his black leather jacket. Add that to the fangs and the face tattoos and I see him as a bit of a rebel. On the other hand, he seems to be a decent guy. Furthermore, he has a scary mom and a sister, but no brothers or dad around. I visualize him as a fun, interesting guy with high respect for women and thus very good manners. On the other hand, he has a wild streak (obviously). This made him really fun to write. I hope you're enjoying it, too.


	3. Nuzzle

Feeling adventurous, she asked him what was up with the huge green table in the middle of the bar. "I always wonder about it but never felt like asking."

"Ah! It's a pool table!" He told her. "It's the only one in the village, too. It's something that Lady Hokage found before she came back to the village or something." He turned to Iago. "Where'd you get the pool table, Iago?"

"Brought it with me when I moved here!" he hollered back. "You like it?"

"Yeah!"

Hinata was still staring at the table. "Pool? That doesn't look like a pool." She frowned, confused. He decided that she looked adorable that way.

"No, they call it pool because…" he burst out laughing. "I actually have no idea why. Let's play anyway."

"Kay!"

He set up the colored balls in their triangular formation. Then he handed her a stick and started explaining. "The basic idea of the game is that you use this stick. You hit the white ball with the tip of the stick (I'll show you how in a minute). You use the white ball or cue ball to hit your balls into the pockets on the edges of the table. If you get them all in, plus the black ball, you win. With me so far?" She nodded. "There are a lot of rules to the full game, but we'll play with easier rules for now so you can get used to it. First rule is that if you hit the black ball in before the end of the game, you lose automatically. But, if you hit it in on the very first shot, which is called the break, you win automatically. You must call which pocket the black ball goes into, also. Next rule is that if the white ball goes into the pocket, you lose your turn and I get to put it anywhere behind these two marks. I have to hit one of my balls on the opposite side of the table, or else bounce it off the rail to hit this side. Hitting in the white ball is called a scratch. If you scratch on the break you automatically lose. Still following?"

"Yep. Don't hit in the white ball or the black ball, unless it's the end of the game." She nodded.

"Right. Also, if you scratch while trying to hit the black ball in, you lose automatically. Last rule, you can only hit  _your_  balls with the cue ball. Any questions?"

"Not really. You might have to help me, though."

"No problem. I'll go first." He took his place at the end of the table and relaxed the stick on his hand. He showed her several different ways to hold it, letting her know that everyone had a certain way that worked best for them. Then he tested the position of his stick a few times and drove the cue into the formation of colored balls. A loud, satisfying crack was heard as the balls scattered, twirling colors all over the field of green. The solid purple one teetered on the edge of a pocket for a second, then toppled in. "Okay, I hit in a solid ball. That means you're stripes."

"Right, so I have to hit in the striped balls, then the black ball, and not hit in any of yours?"

"You got it! If you hit in one of mine, it's my turn. But if you hit in one of yours, like I just did, then you get to go again." He sank the yellow solid ball next, but missed his shot on the next one. "Your turn," he said as he handed her the cue.

She studied the stick for a while, turning it in her fingers and hefting the weight. She bent over and placed it on her fingers, but her fingers were wrong. She creased her brow, thinking. "Kiba, I think I'm doing it wrong."

"You're holding your fingers wrong." Then he noticed she was holding the stick wrong, too. "Oh, you know what, hang on a second." She stood straight up again and waited. He went around behind her. He positioned her fingers on the table correctly for her. "The stick slides here," he murmured into her ear. Then he placed his hand on her hand on the haft of the cue. "And you hold like this."

Holy body closeness! He was so close, he could feel the heat radiating off her body, smell the shampoo in her hair, and hear her heart thudding in her chest. She leaned down to take the shot and he nearly came undone. He took a step back to stay out of her way, but mostly to calm the raging storm that just ripped through his senses.

Then the most amazing thing happened. She sank her first shot. And her second. And her third. And the fourth. And the fifth. And the sixth. And then the seventh. And then she nailed the eight ball, after which the cue ball drifted to a nice gentle stop near the center of the table. Then she set the stick aside, turned and struck a pose and said "Ta daaa! I think I like this game!"

He stared at her, utterly amazed. "I think I'm in love," he muttered.

She blushed. "It's nice to find something I'm good at."

"People are going to hate playing you," he said carelessly, and instantly regretted it when her expression fell.

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that," she murmured.

He stepped closer to her, trapping her between his body and the pool table. She didn't resist, but her eyes widened slightly and she braced herself with both hands on the pool table. He rested one hand on her cheek and smiled at her. "Hinata, I will play with you as many times as you want. I don't care if I lose every time. It's something that makes you happy, and that's all I want. You deserve to be happy."

She leaned into his hand, her smile returning, sweeter than ever. "Thanks, Kiba. You're so kind."

She beat him in pool twelve more times that night. He'd never been happier in his life. Their words got slurry and even Hinata started to miss her shots. Then, they started to ignore the game entirely. Other people were beginning to fill the bar, and they were annoyed that the pool table was being monopolized. Finally, regretfully, Hinata relinquished the pool cue. They went back to the bar and paid Iago. "Night, Yago," Kiba droned at him, completely trashed. "Thankssss."

"Night night Yago," Hinata hollered, molded into his side.

He wrapped an arm around her and held her close to him. She steadied herself with both hands on his chest and back. They started walking. It wasn't until they arrived at his door that he realized he'd made a mistake. "Oops," he blurted. "Guess we need to go the other way." He started to turn to go.

Hinata tugged at his arm. "We don't have to," she whispered shyly from under her lashes.

That sobered him, just a little. "You can stay, Hinata, but if you do, we're only sleeping. You're drunk and so am I." Even if he'd imbibed the entire bottle, he was not about to forget his honor or hers.

"Kay. I'm just not ready to leave you yet. Thanksss."

His heart fluttered. He marched right past his mother and sister, who were sitting at the table with tea talking about something. Hinata smiled at them, and their looks of shock were almost comical. He ignored it all and just led her upstairs to his room. No sooner had he left their eyesight than he heard "Kibaaa!" His mother. He opened the door to his room and gently pushed Hinata inside, shutting the door behind him. He waited. Tsume stalked toward him, stopping inches from his face. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Momma, we're jzust sleeping," he slurred, leaning heavily on his shut door.

"You're drunk aren't you? Her, too?" He nodded. His mother tipped her head to the side. "New girlfriend sleeping with you? I don't think so. Did you not hear anything I told you earlier?"

"Mom, not right now, mmkay? We're tired. We're just going to sleep." He opened the door and made to go inside, but she grabbed him by his jacket and yanked him back into the hallway. His coordination gone, he stumbled and fell, and ended up having to stare upward at a very pissy Tsume.

"No, Kiba." Her voice was firm. Were he sober, he knew that he should not argue with this Tsume.

He was not sober. "Mom, either I'm going in there and sleeping in my bed, or I'm going outside and sleeping on the ground. I'm sleeping. Sleeping! With Hinata. In there." He pointed.

She stared down at him for several moments, not at all pleased. "My hearing is better than yours. Any… ANY! Sounds that come from in that room—" she pointed sharply "—that a mother does not want to hear from her son's bed and you'll be finding a new place to live. You feel me?"

"YES, MOM. I said I was going to sleep! Your hearing isn't  _that_  good." He clambered to his feet and made it through his door.

"GOODNIGHT, HINATA," Tsume growled from the hallway.

"Goodnight, ma'am!" she called politely.

The door shut, leaving Kiba in the quiet darkness, alone with Hinata for the first time. Of a sudden, he felt really self conscious. He shed his leather jacket and shirt. No point sleeping in those. Likewise, his pants weren't very comfortable for sleeping. He quickly changed into some pajama pants. That should be appropriate. He slipped into the blankets next to her. She had shed her jacket as well, so she was really only in her tight pants and a black tank top. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back to his chest. He inhaled deeply, memorizing her scent.

"Kiba," she murmured. "I'm so drunk."

"I know, princess. Me, too." He nuzzled his nose into the back of her neck.

"It feels nice," she breathed.

He chortled and planted little tiny kisses on the back of her neck. If this night never, ever ended it would be too soon. He kissed his way down to the hollow between her neck and her shoulder.

"Mmm," she hummed. "That feels nice, too."

He nipped down her shoulder, then dragged his face along the bare shoulder, reveling in her softness.

"You stopped," she said grumpily.

"I said we were sleeping," he whispered into her ear, causing her to shiver deliciously in his grasp.

"You said that, but then you were kissing instead. I like the kissing better than the sleeping." She rolled over, her hair splayed out all over the pillow. "So, kiss me."

He obliged her. And this time it was not a chaste goodnight kiss. She tasted like tequila, but somehow it was all right when he tasted it from her lips. He lost all sense of time and space. His world was spinning, both from alcohol and from emotions. He'd had the best day of his entire life and it was ending perfectly. He didn't need to think; he only had to show her that his feelings were real, so he loved her with his mouth.

But when she tried to snuggle in closer to him, front to front, he broke the kiss, groaning with conscience. She frowned at him in the darkness, and he sighed. "Not tonight, Hinata. Get some sleep, okay?"

"You don't like it?" She sounded distressed.

He rolled to his back and pulled her into his side. She molded perfectly. "I love it, Hinata. I just don't want to get too excited. It's too soon and we're too drunk."

"Okay. Goodnight, Kiba."

"Goodnight, princess," he told her, kissing the top of her head. She was out as soon as she shut her eyes, and he wasn't long behind.

Akamaru woke him up by nipping his toes. "Hey, boy," he said, smiling sheepishly.

Akamaru growled his response.  _Got the girl, I see._ He could almost hear his smile.

"Seems so."

_Happy? You look like a happy human._

"Most definitely."

 _Good! Training time. We can do better today._ He wagged his tail. Akamaru always thought Kiba could do better. It was kind of irritating at times, but he had gotten stronger as a result.

"Right. Let's let her sleep a bit longer. I'll go get your breakfast."

His ears perked up.  _I love breakfast. It's my favorite thing._

"I thought dinner was your favorite thing?"

_That, too._

Kiba chuckled and headed to the kitchen still in his pajama pants. Hana was there, sipping on a cup of coffee. The slow, wicked smile that played across her face was all the question she needed to ask. Nonetheless, she set her mug down. "So. You two have fun last night?"

"The answer is no, I did not take advantage of my teammate. But the answer is yes, yesterday was the best day of my entire life."

"Ma's mad at you," she accused. "Good thing you behaved yourself. She was holding sharp objects all night just in case." She grinned.

"And what about you?" He asked, suddenly curious.

"Me?" She chuckled and held her coffee cup aloft in a toast. "Congratulations, little bro! I don't really care so long as you find someone who makes you happy. You look pretty chipper to me, so she gets my vote."

"Thanks, Hana." He started making Akamaru's food. He mixed a scoop of the dry food that he made in large batches, then added some raw beef and chicken gravy for extra flavor. He set the bowl down on the kitchen floor, then poured himself a cup of coffee.

Moments into the first cup of coffee, Hinata shyly appeared in the doorway. "Good morning," he said to her.

She slunk to one of the two remaining chairs and grimaced. "Not so loud, please." She rubbed her head in her hands. "Coffee?"

He shook his head. "Not for you. Sit tight. I'll get you what you need."

Her eyes were so pathetic and sad he almost gave her the coffee anyway. "No coffee?" she whined pitifully. Akamaru whined at her in sympathy.

"No, darling, you're hungover. If you drink coffee it only makes it worse." He plopped a glass of orange juice in front of her and placed a multivitamin next to it. He'd learned a thing or two from Iago. A close, personal relationship with whiskey will educate you fast. "Start with this. I got the rest." She started sipping on the orange juice while he placed a frying pan on the stove. Soon, the three of them were enjoying pancakes, bacon and eggs.

When Hinata finished, she pushed the plate away from her and slumped into her chair with a smile. "Much better. Thanks so much, Kiba."

He flashed his best grin at her. "Anytime. Just let me know whenever you're hungry. I'll cook anytime you want." He finished up his breakfast, too, and then it was time for training.


	4. Whine

Four blissful months blurred on by. They were perfect together, he thought. He felt that he treated her with respect, and she was a completely different person around him. She was fun, confident, and seemingly happy. They tried new things together, shared their favorite things, and could talk about anything.

His family was even supportive. His mother, though reserved about the whole being teammates thing, really liked Hinata. "She makes you less of a brat," Tsume joked. "And while it's annoying that you're so happy all the time, I'm glad you're happy, too."

Hana talked to him over coffee every morning. "You need to marry her, Kiba, before she realizes what an idiot you are after all." She winked at him.

"Not likely," Kiba said cheerily. "She's had a crush on Naruto all her life and he's the biggest idiot there is."

"Before she finds  _someone_  else then. Not very good odds that you, me, and Mom all agree on your girlfriend if you find a different one. She's good for you, she's a good ninja, and better yet, she loves dogs." She sipped on the coffee, then reached over with the carafe to refill his mug and hers.

"Thanks," he said about the coffee. It was true, Hinata did love dogs. She'd known Akamaru for a long time, but when she met the hound triplets and Kuromaru, she spent the whole afternoon petting them and cooing about how adorable they were. The four dogs wouldn't leave her alone now when she visited. To Kiba, Hana, and Tsume, their dogs were their partners, almost like tools, ninjas, and friends. It was not often that they would really just sit and pet them no matter how much they loved their nin-ken. Every time she showed up, Kuromaru was all "Hinata's heeeeeeeere!" And the five dogs would prance and skip around like puppies at play, yipping and howling. Tsume and Hana teased their hounds about how pathetic it was. Kiba knew Akamaru had a weakness for attention, though, and said nothing. It meant that Akamaru wasn't always bugging him for a brushing, which was another of his 'favorite things.' "Don't you think it's too soon, though? We've only been dating for like, four months."

Hana raised an eyebrow. "How long have you known this girl?" It was a rhetorical question. Both of them knew the answer. "Put a ring on it, or don't go crying to me when she finds someone who will. You know you want to keep her, and she seems pretty happy with you. We're not going to have this conversation every morning, and I don't want to see anything happen between the two of you. If she wants to marry you, she'll already know by now."

"Alright, alright! I'll think about it! I just don't want to scare her away. Nice and easy seems like the way to go with someone as reserved as she is."

Hana lowered her cup and leaned in, speaking to him as if he were an idiot after all. "Kiba, you're an Inuzuka. We're not really known for our patience. You want her, go get her. It's our nature. Nothing good ever comes from going against your nature."

They had the same conversation with different words every morning. Hana was pressuring him to commit to Hinata, and he was worried he was moving too far with it too fast. Yes, they'd known each other for years. But while that meant that he knew he'd love her forever, it also meant he knew there wasn't really any reason to hurry. They were spending all their time together anyway.

While his family was totally on board, their other teammate wasn't digging the new relationship. Shino was pissy about the whole thing. The guy was really sensitive about feeling left out. Hinata had come up with the considerate idea of throwing a party in Shino's honor so he would feel less left out. It sounded like a silly idea to him, but Hinata decided that July 23, Shino's 'half birthday,' would be a good time. Apparently, some people loved attention so much that they celebrated 'half birthdays,' the day that was exactly six months before and after their birthdays. The idea of a party, Kiba totally agreed with. Shino had been a solid friend and teammate despite his weirdness. He didn't want the guy to always feel like a third wheel. Kiba was, in fact, on a mission to buy food for the party when he passed Miagi's, the jeweler. At first he walked past it, eyes locked on the window. Then, without taking his eyes off, he strolled backwards and stopped to peer inside. He'd never been in there before, but with Hana's conversation fresh in his mind, he decided it wouldn't hurt to check it out. Even if he wasn't quite ready to pop the question right this moment, he knew he wanted to eventually, and it seemed smart to be prepared. He shared a look with his ninja hound. Akamaru, wise as always, trotted a little further down the street and lay down in front of the food store, just in case Hinata walked by. It wouldn't do to spoil a surprise like this one.

The doorbell dinged as he stepped inside. He smiled at the lady behind the counter, then walked up and down the aisles, looking into the glass cases and waiting for one of them to wow him. He knew approximately what he was looking for: something super sparkly, but practical. A kunoichi couldn't have a really tall rock on her finger or it would interfere with her work. He also wanted there to be a lot of smaller diamonds for added flair, and he wanted something elegant, and not too plain. Cost didn't matter. He'd saved hardcore and he knew he had enough for whatever he wanted to get. He brushed the cases with his fingers, willing one of the rings in the case to speak to him. After a few minutes of browsing, the sales associate approached him. "Hi there! Looking for anything in particular?"

He explained the kind of ring he was looking for in as good a detail as he knew how. "She's a Shinobi, so it can't be something that gets in the way, you know?"

"Ah, yes, I understand. We actually have a lot of Shinobi customers, and we have a special case set up for rings that might suit them better. Check them out." She led him to a smaller case, and there it was. It caught his eye immediately, and something magical happened. It was like a chemical reaction in the brain. He knew it was perfect, had to have it, _nothing else mattered_. It was white gold. The band at the top of the ring branched out to look like a tree, and at the lower part of the band was engraved with tiny leaves. The branches were encrusted with diamonds so tiny they looked like diamond dust. The main event was the perfect size, sunk into the branching tendrils yet sparkling brightly.  _Pick me, pick me!_

"I want that one," he said without hesitation, smudging the glass with his fingerprint as he pointed.

She smirked. "Wow, that was  _quick!_  Are you sure?"

He didn't take his eyes of the ring, afraid it might not even be real and that if he looked away, it would vanish from the case. "I am absolutely certain."

She nodded, smiling with appreciation. "A good-looking Shinobi who knows what he wants. A rare thing. Lucky girl!" She winked at him.

He shook his head, smirking sheepishly and running a hand through his messy hair. "No, lucky guy."

The excursion cost him some time, and he ended up late to the party, clutching his box inside his jacket pocket. All the guests were already there. He rushed to get the food on the grill, laying out burgers, hot dogs, and steaks. Once it was cooking, he left it in Choji's hands and dashed off to find Hinata in the crowd. Choji was not likely to burn a good barbecue and was more than happy to be in charge of the food. He handed Choji the spatula and the tongs and thanked him.

Time to find his girlfriend. "Hinata!" he called, scanning the crowd for her. He saw the usual suspects; Sai and Sakura and Kakashi, Lee, Neji, Tenten, and Guy, Shikamaru and Ino, Kurenai-sensei talking to Shino, Tsunade and Shizune with Tonton, their old teacher Iruka, Konohamaru and friends, and a lot of people that he didn't recognize. When they'd sent the invitation, they'd instructed people to invite whomever they wanted. The more the merrier! If Shino didn't feel special celebrating his half birthday with fifty people, Kiba figured the guy was probably a lost cause. "Hinata!" he called again. Weird. She had helped plan the party, so she had to be here somewhere.

"Oh hey, look, it's Kiba!" Ino shouted, waving. "Come on over!"

Shikamaru was sitting next to her, looking completely at ease. Parties were okay as long as he could just hang out and wasn't forced to mingle with people he didn't know. This was a gathering where he only needed to speak to his close friends only, so he was kicked back with his back to the picnic table, beer in hand. "So it is. Hey Kiba. Great party!"

Well, perhaps she'd gone to the bathroom then. He strolled over to his friends. "Thanks, guys. I can't really talk too long, though. I want to find Hinata first." And then, because he absolutely needed to tell somebody, he dragged the box out of his pocket. "See what I got?" He opened it so only they could see, obscuring it from view with the flap of his jacket and smiling like an idiot. "Don't know when I'm going to give it to her, yet but yeah, it's definitely happening."

Shikamaru and Ino exchanged a concerned glance. What the heck was that about? "Didn't know you guys were dating," Shikamaru said cautiously.

"Well, we knew you were hanging out a lot because we've seen you together occasionally, but we figured it was because Shino was too weird to hang with you guys and you were just doing some team bonding," Ino rushed to add. "You know, like  _we_  do." She twirled a finger to indicate that she meant her, Shikamaru, and Choji.

"Something wrong?" He looked between them, feeling the tension starting to rise. They shifted uncomfortably. "Do you know something I don't? Like, where Hinata is?" He felt the hot chill of embarrassment prickle on his neck already. Something was very wrong here. A question passed between his friends. They were deciding whether or not to tell him something. He gritted his teeth and snarled at them, "Guys. What the hell is going on?"

Ino cast her pointer finger off to the back left, towards his backyard. "She's back there," Ino told him softly, "with Naruto."

His heart sank to the bottom of his chest. Their tone and their expressions told him everything. Naruto was moving in on his girl. This was  _not_  happening. Not now, not like this. When his voice escaped his lips, he felt helpless and lost, like a little boy. "With… um, what?" They didn't answer, and he didn't wait for it anyway. He  _ran_  to where Ino had been pointing. Whatever stood between him and that place, he didn't remember. People, tables, objects, who really cared? It became out of his way as soon as it was in his way.

Behind the house was an old willow tree, long leafy tendrils lazily scraping the ground with every puff of air. And there, beneath the green canopy, Hinata stood leaning back against the trunk, her hands tucked behind her back. Naruto had one arm resting on the tree trunk and the other resting on her face. But that wasn't even the worst of it. Her eyes… she gazed at the face of the man who had been their friend and the savior of the village with complete, devoted adoration. Pure, unadulterated love. He leaned in and kissed her, and she kissed him back with all the confidence that  _he_  had put there, had spent  _years_  building up.

That was all he needed to see. He wasn't going to sit there and watch. He felt sick. So sick, in fact, that he forgot all about the party, marched up to his bathroom,  _actually_  vomited, then shut the door to his room and locked it. His world, entirely collapsed, in a stolen kiss beneath  _his_  willow tree.

Game over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turning point in the story. I really feel for Kiba in this scenario. I love Hinata to pieces, and I'd like to think she is a woman with a lot of integrity. At the same time, I still believe that if Naruto was like, "hey, come spend some time with me alone," she'd be all over it. I really hate it when she's constantly portrayed blushing and stuttering and fainting. I'd like to think that after some time passes, she can at least have enough confidence not to blush, stutter, and faint. I usually write her after giving her enough years to get over it. It's too painful to write the stuttering. Anyway, I'm rambling. What I am trying to say here is that she's got the confidence not to pass out in an intimate situation, and that if her lifetime crush and demigod said "yo, I'm interested," she'd go to him. The kind of feelings she has for Naruto are on a whole different level. 
> 
> Furthermore, I prefer to think that, since she's new to dating, she's confused about the difference one feels between a heavy crush and a comfortable date. I don't know how many of you have experienced both feelings, but real, good love is often more of a smolder than a flare. My boyfriend has been my best friend since before we were dating. I don't think Hinata would yet realize that friendship and partnership is more important that admiration and god status. That's what I'm going with.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Review?


	5. Howl

"Yago. Bods mmty." He knocked the bottle off the bar, where it hit the floor and shattered. He pursed his lips together and blew. It made a funny sound. "Ooppsss."

Iago frowned at him as he put his pint glasses away. "Sorry, Kiba. That was the last bottle of whiskey in the whole bar." It was a lie and they both knew it.

"Bullshit!" he blurted. "Yagooooo! Whissss… keyyyyy." He pushed his glass forward and tapped the glass with his nail.

"Hey, Kiba. I think it's time for us to let the girl go. It's been six months." His voice was stern, but his raised eyebrows betrayed his worry. Iago had liked Hinata quite a bit, actually, but these things happened in the world. He'd been a bartender since he had been old enough and had seen this same dance played out hundreds, if not thousands of times. Kiba was not the first guy he'd seen destroy himself with drink, either, but he was definitely the youngest that he'd seen headed that way.

"Isss been… frever. And still… hurtsss," he drawled out between breaths. His head felt heavy, but not as heavy as his heart. No amount of alcohol was capable of erasing the pain, only making it somewhat duller. It was all he could think of to do. What else was there? "Yago. Come oooonnnnnn."

A stiff hand clapped down on his shoulder, hard. He was so thrown off that he tipped back in his bar stool and laid himself out on the floor. Instantly, Shikamaru was there, helping him up. "Yeah, I'd say you had a little too much tonight, Kiba. Let's go." He righted the stool, too. "Sorry, Iago," he said over his shoulder. "I'll take it from here." This was nearly a nightly ritual with them. Shikamaru had been operating on six or less hours of sleep for far too long.

"Absolutely not!" Kiba shouted. He pointed angrily at Iago. "He… he  _owes_  me!" His eyes were rolling around in his head and going cross-eyed.

Iago shook his head. The rest of the bar was watching him now. It was closing time, and there were only a few left, but all of them were staring. Shikamaru placed himself between his friend and the bartender and spoke gently. "He said he's out of whiskey, Kiba. I went back there and looked myself, I promise."

" _Bullshit_! All you ever tell me is  _bullshit_! _"_ He swayed on his feet and steadied himself on a set of bar stools, one for each hand.

Shikamaru laid a hand on Kiba's arm and pulled his gaze away from the offensive bartender. "There will be more tomorrow. We'll come back, okay?" He plastered his best bullshit smile on his face, hoping that he could convince his friend.

Kiba glared at Iago, baring his fangs and growling like a beast, trying and failing to scare the man. Finally after a few minutes of staring showdown, he broke eye contact. "Next time, sorry sh-s-sh-sack of... of shhhhit."

Shikamaru mouthed the word "sorry" at Iago, who gave him a thumbs up and mouthed "thank you" in return. The door shut behind them. The night was much quieter than the general hubbub within the bar, and immediately Kiba shut down. "Ssdark," he muttered painfully, sounding hollow.

Shikamaru glanced askance at his friend. "Yeah, it's like two in the morning, buddy. It's dark time."

"No," he rasped. A long pause ensued, and Shikamaru heard several shuddering breaths from the Inuzuka. "No... Ssdark… in  _here_." His voice broke as he said it, tapping his own chest. He fell to his knees, clutching at his chest. "Hurts," he cried as he wept, racking huge terrible sobs and howling in between.

Shikamaru sighed, then sat down next to his grieving friend. He patted him on the back, hoping it helped even a little. "I know, man. I know. I'm sorry. There's just nothing we can do, alright?"

"I had everything all planned out!" he whispered, upset. "It was going so well! I jhsust don't know what happened." He turned tortured, pleading, bleary eyes to Shikamaru. "What happened?"

Shikamaru struggled to find some answers to put Kiba at ease. Nothing ever seemed to help, but Kiba wanted to talk, so he tried. "I guess… Naruto has just always been first, for her. I guess that makes you second, Kiba. I know it sucks, but I don't know what to do." He rested his chin in one fist, screwing up his face. "It'll stop hurting eventually," he told him, though it didn't seem to be true. Surely, Kiba should be past this by now. He really had only said it to say it.

Shikamaru had made it his personal duty to take care of Kiba. He'd certainly had enough practice pulling his father out of the bar when he wasn't ready to go yet. Besides, he felt somewhat responsible. Only he and Ino had seen the ring Kiba had bought for Hinata, and only Shikamaru was also a guy and understood a man's pain. Guys didn't grieve like girls did. They nursed their pain alone, without any support. There wasn't anyone to tell him "fuck that girl, you're better off without her." There wasn't anyone to hand him a Kleenex and let him cry it out. Guys didn't like to cry in front of other guys. And lastly, the most important thing was that guys didn't get over breakups like girls did. If he truly loved a girl, it was going to take forever to get over her. There wasn't any other girl worth having.

He heard Kiba mumble something unintelligible. "What?" Shikamaru asked.

"Jusss… tired," he mumbled. His chin tipped into his chest.

"Alright, let's get going then." He dragged Kiba to his feet, trying in vain to balance him. Kiba was a bigger person than he was, and horrifically heavy. It had to have looked ridiculous for them to be teetering down the road at this hour. Shikamaru decided it was going to be best to plop him down on his couch instead. No way was he going to make it all the way to Inuzukas like this. Sometimes he did, but more often he didn't. He was on a first name basis with Tsume now for helping her son out.

Yep, less than thirty yards from the Nara door, Kiba passed out cold. Shikamaru let him drop to the ground and stood over him with his hands on his hips, looking between the unconscious one on the ground and the door. "Yeah, that's not happening," he muttered. He entered the house and returned shortly with his father, who was not at all happy about being woken up. "Sorry, Dad, but I can't carry him and he just passed out. Can't just leave him here."

"I would, it'd be a good lesson. Supposed to rain tonight," he mumbled, "but I'm already awake, so whatever." They lifted Kiba and moved him to their couch. Once he was splayed out on the cushions, Shikamaru dropped a blanket over his prostrate form. "Shikamaru," his father said, leaning against the hallway doorframe. "This whole thing needs to stop. He's killing himself."

Shikamaru watched Kiba snoring and shook his head sadly. "No, Dad, he's already dead."

The first thing Kiba saw when he awoke was Tsume. "Aww, come on," he groaned. "Why is there Mom?"

"Kiba," she said, leaning over him, her face grim, "either you're going to forget about this girl, or you're moving out."

"What? How does that make any sense?" he asked, searching her face for the lie. It wasn't there. "You're kicking me out for being sad? That's bullshit, Mom!"

She shook her head. "No, puppy. Akamaru howls day and night until his throat is raw. Hana and I can't sleep. She works long hours and I might be called on for a mission at any moment. We need our rest, son."

"So unfair," he growled.

"I agree," she said unkindly. "I miss getting a good night's sleep." She smoothed the hair off his brow like he was a little boy. He batted her hand away, not appreciating the gesture. "Kiba," she said so only he could hear, "I'm sorry about Hinata, but it's time for you to grow up and let her go. Akamaru needs you. Your team needs you. And Hana and I need you, too."

He turned his face away, unforgiving. "You know what? Fuck it. I'll move out. No one fucking cares any fucking more. I've had enough. You don't understand. How could you? Fuck this. Fuck her. And fuck  _you!_ " He whipped the blanket off and stood, scowling.

Tsume watched, her brows knitted together with worry. "Kiba…" she trailed off, unsure of what more there was to say, but coming up with nothing.

Kiba grabbed his jacket and stalked out of the house. He hadn't made it more than ten steps before his whole body was paralyzed. Shikamaru. Kiba was so fed up that he growled and shouted a warcry at the sky. "Dammit!" he swore. "Now what? You have something you wanna fucking say, too?"

"Let's walk a moment," Shikamaru said calmly, turning them both in the same direction. He walked in the general direction of the Inuzuka household, forcing Kiba to move along with him.

"This isn't fucking funny, Shikamaru. Let me go before I decide to kick your ass. I don't have time for any of your shit either."

"Nope, we need to talk. Before you freak out, I'm not going to tell you to get over her. I know better than that."

Kiba frowned, wary. On the other hand, though, it was different from what everyone else had been saying, so he decided he'd humor the guy and let him say his piece.

"I  _am_  going to tell you to divorce that bottle of whiskey you're so fond of, and the reason I am doing that is  _not_  only because Dad says you can't have the couch anymore. If you don't let go of the whiskey, you're never going to feel better. You're just picking at a scab night after night and watching it bleed. Mourn her without the booze. It'll heal quicker. Also, with the amount of it you're taking into your body, you're going to ruin yourself. Your liver is taking an epic beating, and worse, you're not training and you're going to lose that sexy muscle tone pretty quick here."

"What's the point, Shikamaru?" He said on a painful sigh, eyes rolling up toward the sky.

"Well, I'm no relationship expert, but two things. One,  _no_  girl, not even a girl like Hinata, should ever take away that part of you that will always be a Shinobi. You've got responsibilities to your Village and to yourself to be an excellent ninja. It's something that makes you who you are and makes you happy, makes you  _you_. Nothing should ever change that. Two, the best revenge is to be successful. I'm not saying you might want to hurt her, but I bet part of you wants her to be unhappy with Naruto and see that you're just fine without her, even if you're really not."

He shut his eyes and tried to squeeze out the pain that tightened around his heart and lungs. When he spoke, he didn't look at Shikamaru. "Alright, are we done here?" He was not about to cry in front of Shikamaru. Nope. Not ever. Not gonna cry.

"One more thing, first. Your mom told us this morning that she's telling you that you probably need to move out." He stopped walking and turned them both to face each other.

Kiba averted his eyes. "So?"

"Want to be roomies?" He smirked. "Could be fun. Come on… you know you want to." He released the jutsu.

He really didn't, but he did need a place to stay and apparently the Nara sofa was no longer an option. "Fine, whatever," he huffed. Then he remembered. "Oh, but apparently Akamaru has been howling lately and Hana and Mom can't sleep." He shrugged, feeling helpless. He could probably just sleep outside. He and Akamaru had done that plenty of times for fun.

"Hey, no problem. Then I'm the perfect roommate. Nothing interrupts my sleep if I say it doesn't. You know how many times I've slept through the alarm clock?" He smirk broadened into a full on grin.

Shikamaru's laziness  _was_  legendary. "Heh. I guess you could have a point there."

"Oh, good! I'm  _so_  sick of living with my parents. They're so troublesome. Mom won't leave me alone and Dad keeps whining about you sleeping on the couch and me being a lazy ass like that's  _news_." Actually, Shikamaru had his own reasons for rooming with Kiba. Avoiding his parents was one of them. He did think it was time for him to be on his own. More importantly, though, he thought Kiba ought to spend more time with his friends and less time moping over Hinata. It would do him a world of good.

"Alright. I'll go get my things then. Rendezvous at Senju's in two hours?"

"Got it."

Mission accomplished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably my favorite scene ever. I know everyone has either seen the drunk person, been the drunk person, or been close to the drunk person that does things like this. You say the dumbest things, and sometimes you say really profound things. Actually, on my last bonfire beach outing, I was told the next day that I said "I have smoke in my eyes, but beer in my soul." I am apparently a deep philosopher and epic frisbee player. That's enough about me, though. My point here is, I love Kiba's actions and his pain, and I think you can really feel his frustration at the same time.
> 
> Let me know if you liked this. Reviews are a balm to the soul (and keep me writing for you).


	6. Growl

They ended up finding a cheap place between Shino's place and the Hyuugas. Real estate there was apparently at its lowest rates ever because no one wanted to live anywhere near the defiled Uchiha grounds. They didn't care. They didn't have any neighbors and they were far away from their respective parents. Also, being close to Shino probably wasn't a bad idea, either. Perhaps he could start working on repairing the bruised feelings between the two of them. In fact, as soon as they were moved in, he started inviting his teammate over all the time.

Before too long, the three of them and Choji had become a bro unit. Shikamaru shared his love of beer. It seemed a little hypocritical to Kiba that Shikamaru was introducing him to beer after telling him not to drink, so he told him so.

Shikamaru smirked and set the beer down. The four of them were chilling on their porch, enjoying the warm, breezy summer weather and cold beers. "It's different," he insisted. "Here's why: number one, you should never drink by yourself. That's where the problem starts. Drinking by yourself is drinking to run away from something. No good can come of it. For example, Choji and I always drink together. Drinking with friends is for a different reason. We are enjoying a refreshing beverage that gives us a buzz and each other's company. The main event here is not what is in the glass."

Choji played at looking indignant. "Speak for yourself, Shikamaru. For me the main event is  _always_  what's in that glass. Buuut... I guess you're alright, too." He raised his glass in a salute. They chuckled.

"And number two," Shikamaru continued, tapping the glass with his finger, "these are not for getting drunk. These aren't the cheap shit watered down beers like what Shino drinks. These are the real deal. They're stronger than the commercialized beers and they come in millions of flavors. They're called microbrews because they're actually cultivated in huge vats with different kinds of yeast. They're handcrafted and carefully designed. Every different beer is like a different jutsu; it's an art that never happens exactly the same each time, and the power and magic in the bottle depends on the brewmaster who makes it."

"I see," Kiba said, and he was starting to get it, peering into his beer. What he had in his hand was actually quite a pleasant wheat beer with a hint of orange and spice in it.

"Yeah. So what Choji and I like to do when we hang out is find a whole bunch of different kinds and try them all. It's like a wine and cheese party, except that it's beer and barbecue. And once you try enough of them, you decide what you like, and shopping gets a little easier." He reclaimed his beer and lifted it. "Cheers!"

Kiba lifted his glass. "Cheers." He finished the rest of his. "I liked this one." He wagged his glass and set it down.

Shikamaru nodded appreciatively. "Good. That one was called Oberon. I've never heard of a beer drinker that hated it. It's the perfect summer time beer, and excellent for a day at the beach." He took a swallow. "On the other hand, never drink a stout at the beach."

Choji nodded sagely, agreeing.

"What's a stout, and why not?" Shino asked.

"You'd hate stouts, Shino. Stick with wheat beers, lagers, pilsners, and amber ales. They're lighter, but a lot better than what you've been drinking." It sounded rude, but it was just a statement of fact. "Stouts are the heavy, thick, dark beers. A lot of times they taste toasty, or like chocolate or coffee. You don't drink them on a hot day because it weighs you down and makes you feel gross."

"Ah," Shino said. "Cool." Shino's taste in beer was abysmal, and none of them could understand it. Then again, nearly everything about Shino was weird. Nevertheless, the guy was a good friend and they tried not to judge him by his quirks. Shino only drank the light, commercialized beers. It was Shino's beer that made Kiba certain he hated beer. They tasted like piss water and it took hundreds of them to get him drunk (a slight exaggeration). He'd get full and not be able to drink anymore before he got a respectable buzz.

On the other hand... complex flavors that hinted at  _chocolate_  and  _espresso_...? "That sounds like me," Kiba said, sliding his empty glass toward Shikamaru. "Hook me up!"

Choji's face split in a wide grin and flames flared up in his eyes. He held a fist in front of his face with an intense look. "Yussss! Give him the Storm King! Another true man will be made TONIGHT!" He probably said it more loudly than he needed to, but Choji was always a little comical when he was excited.

"With pleasure, my brother," Shikamaru replied, adopting a fake funny accent, extracting a black and blue bottle with a golden hawk on it. He poured a glass and held it out to Kiba. "Sip this one, my friend. It's a little more on the stiff side. Treat it like wine, too. Swirl it, let it open up, and sniff before you taste."

"Challenge accepted," he said with a sly smile. "I'm a whiskey guy, after all." He swirled and sniffed. It smelled like espresso and voodoo magic. Oh,  _hell_  yes. He tested his first sip and just about had an orgasm, no joke. "This is fucking delicious," he said with an energetic nod.

"I know, right?" Choji agreed. "It's my favorite. Welcome to the club. Only cool kids allowed." He leaned back in his chair and smiled a knowing smile.

Kiba loosed a heavy sigh. Today, at least, all the tension was gone, and he had to agree that moving out had been a good idea. Rooming with Shikamaru was a better idea. Shikamaru had chillaxing perfected into a science. Sleeping in, training really hard for a very short amount of time, and then either hanging out at the pub or drinking beers on the porch, possibly some intense video gaming for violent stress relief. They'd been avoiding the pub more lately though. Naruto was sometimes there, and  _none_  of them were particularly fond of  _him_  right now. Shikamaru had coined a phrase for that: _bros before hos._ He said that almost as often as he had started saying  _Hakuna Matata,_  a phrase that he had said meant "no worries." Basically, Naruto had broken Bro Rule #1: Never steal your bro's girl. He was an outlaw in the eyes of bros everywhere until he took responsibility for his infraction.

Kiba still went to the pub alone occasionally, though. He hadn't completely given up his love for whiskey, but he had slowed down considerably on how much he actually drank. He was trying to channel the whole "drink because it's fucking delicious, not because you need it" concept. It was  _mostly_  sticking. He slipped now and then, but Shikamaru had a lot shorter of a journey dragging him back to their apartment from Senju's, and no one had to witness his walks of shame.

When he actually did run into Naruto at Senju's, he made a strong point of avoiding him and ducking out as quickly as possible. If he had to talk to him for too long, he was going to lose his composure or pick a fight.

Today was one of those days. "Kiba, hey," Naruto greeted, sliding in to the bar stool adjacent. He ordered his usual with a wave of his hand. The hardest thing to get used to with Naruto was how utterly clueless he was. Kiba would wager a guess that Naruto had no idea that Kiba had ever been dating Hinata, or that Kiba was even pissed off at him now. That fact in itself was enough to make him not really pissed off in the first place. On the one hand, he really wanted to just punch Naruto in the whiskered face. On the other, he knew that Naruto didn't know any better and had no idea he'd done anything wrong, which made him feel like an asshole... just for wanting to punch him in the whiskered face.

Oh well. When life gives you lemons... he took a deep breath and plastered a fake smile on his face. "Hey Naruto. How's your day?"

"Eh. It's alright," he replied.

Iago didn't waste any time. Naruto was another mostly regular. "Dark and Stormy, Naruto," Iago said with a grin as he dropped off a glass. "How's the girlfriend?"

 _Fuck you, Iago_ , Kiba thought. He knew that the bartender was only doing his job in being polite, but surely they didn't need to discuss  _this_  topic with him here. He started to reconsider how much he liked drinking at Senju's. Seriously reconsider. He shot the bartender a furious, furtive glare before turning his fake grin back to Naruto.

Naruto took a sip to test his drink and flashed the bartender a thumbs up. "Hinata's acting weird. She keeps staying out late for training or something, but won't tell me what. I know it sounds crazy, but I'm worried she's got a boyfriend or something on the side."

Kiba's smile slipped for an instant, but it was back almost as quickly as it had disappeared. "No, it's not that. Trust me."

Naruto blinked. "So I am just being paranoid? How are you so sure?"

His voice held an edge to it as he answered. "She has never liked anyone but you, Naruto. She's not changing anytime soon." He poured himself another shot of whiskey and downed it. "Oh, look, Ino-Shika-Cho is here. Catch you later Naruto!" He clapped Naruto on the shoulder and pushed the bottle to the edge of the bar. Iago was already working on settling the new arrivals' drinks. Kiba shook his head at Shikamaru, just so he knew he was pissed. "See you back at our place," he grumbled. "I'll be killing the shit out of some demons."

Shikamaru glanced behind him toward Naruto and then gave him a concerned look. "Alright, well, take it easy, Kiba."

He shouted over his shoulder so everyone could hear. "No,  _fuck_  this." He slammed the door on his way out. He'd had about enough of the whole scenario. He was done, fucking  _done_ pretending everything was just  _fine_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, another of my favorite scenes ever. The guys enjoying fine crafted beers. This, in my opinion, is totally a Shikamaru thing to do. He seems like the kind of guy to hang out with. I'm totally channeling my brother and his friends, here. This is the kind of thing we do when we hang out, down to buying "pick-a-six" packs and everything. Let me know if you liked it! :)


	7. Snarl

He didn't slay the demons, though. For the first time in months, he turned to Akamaru at the door. "Wanna go for a run?" Akamaru barked his assent, and they were instantly off. They ran for a good solid hour, careening through the trees and marking lands that they hadn't marked in too long. The wind felt good in his hair and in his lungs. He realized that he had missed this part of his life, sorely. Shikamaru's words about never letting a girl tamper with one's Shinobi way echoed in his thoughts. Shikamaru was always right. He was glad to be outdoors with Akamaru again. By the time they were finished hours later, both of them were out of breath.

He laid down on the grass and stared up at the sky, understanding more fully why Shikamaru loved them so much. They really  _were_  carefree, just floating across the sky. No hurry. No irritating friends who stole their girlfriends. No problems. Akamaru thumped down on the grass next to him, stuffing his nose in Kiba's hand.  _Pet me. I missed you._

"I missed you too, Akamaru," he said, burying is fingers in white fur, reveling in its softness It had been too long since he'd really hung out with his dog. He forgot how soothing an effect his fur-covered best bud could be. "I know I've been a jerk. I'm sorry."

 _I forgive you. Are you okay now?_ He whined with concern.

He pulled the ring out of his pocket with the other hand. It was the only thing he had left of her that he hadn't burned or tossed out when she left him. He had thought about returning it to the jeweler, but he didn't really need the money and decided that it still had its own importance. It was the most expensive mistake he had never made, in more ways than one. What would life have been like if he'd have actually married her before she left him? He twirled the ring in his fingers. The sun caught the facets and made brilliant rainbow sparkles. It made his heart clench, but the anger and the tears died before they lived. "I will be."

 _She'll come back._ Akamaru's tone was laced with confidence.

"No she won't, Akamaru. She's got everything she ever wanted now. But thanks for trying to cheer me up."

He felt the spark of amusement in the air between them.  _Want to bet?_

Hinata, leave Naruto for him? Not bloody likely. "You're on." He wasn't much of a gambler, but he figured he'd win this bet. "What are the stakes?"

Akamaru's tail thumped heavily on the grass.  _I win and you get to brush me for a whole hour every day for a week. You win and I'll show you where I hid all the cookies._ He grinned a toothy puppy grin, daring Kiba to say anything about it.

Kiba stopped petting and glared at his dog. " _You_  stole all the cookies Mom keeps buying? I thought she was going crazy! She actually threatened to stop buying cookies altogether! You know she's been blaming me?" Life without chocolate cream sandwich cookies wasn't really like life. It was more like an undead state, and cookies were like brains. Life became the pursuit of cookies, the only instinct being the one to feed.

Akamaru whuffed with amusement.  _Of course I do. Since you put the hole in the cupboard, it's really easy to frame you for stealing cookies. I'm a friggin' ninja hound, not a cocker spaniel._

He shoved his dog playfully. "I hate you." He didn't mean it, and Akamaru knew it.

His tail kept right on thumping.  _Uh-huh_. _Suuure._  He waited. Then, unable to contain himself any longer, he asked Kiba, _Want to know why I'll win?_

"Sure, why not?" He laced his fingers behind his head and crossed his feet, kicking back and watching the clouds pass overhead.  _It sure would be nice to be a cloud._ At least, if he could have a cloud dog like Akamaru.

 _She'll come back. She means more to you than she does to him and she wants to feel like she matters. And you know why she's coming back?_  He paused dramatically.  _Because you're going to go_ get _her._  And with that, Akamaru growled and nipped him right in the ass and just kept right on growling.

Kiba jumped up, irritated. He and Akamaru stared each other down.  _Go get her, puppy!_  Akamaru yipped at him, mocking him by using Tsume's pet name for him. And then he sat back on his haunches and lifted his muzzle in song. His voice started low and deep and cavorted into a high pitch wail. It carried up to the clouds and danced among them. Kiba knew the song well; it was the song they howled together when they were hunting something. It was an exultant song. It spoke of fun, and wilderness, and everything fierce within his heart. Akamaru howled and howled.

And then Kiba felt his old self bubbling up within him. He felt five years of age slough right off of him, and suddenly he felt like the brat with the puppy who cut class to play outside, and he howled, too. He threw back his head and let the song sing right from his soul, dancing out through his lips and bursting into the carefree clouds to dance with the other voice. _Freedom!_  The empty hole in his chest filled up with that song, and it was then that he realized that his friends had helped him fill the void all along. He was...  _okay_  without Hinata. The revelation was liberating.

An important piece of knowledge clicked into place; He was okay without her… but he wanted her anyway. She belonged to him, and he to her. He needed this woman, and nothing in the world was going to keep her from him. His feet moved on their own accord, carrying him far and fast. Akamaru's faint voice drifted to him from where he'd left him in the trees. _You can't love anyone until you can love yourself, brother._  Why was his dog always so much wiser than he was? He supposed he should feel lucky to have friends like the ones that he had. Where would he be without them?

 _Plastered. Maybe dead._ It was a sobering thought.

He transformed as he ran. All the sadness and loneliness vanished, replaced with anger and possessiveness. How dare  _anyone_ ,  _especially_  a friend, swoop in and take  _his_  girlfriend? _No one_  would have her except for him. He was furious with himself, too. He should have wasted less time moping and spent more time fighting for her. Of course she left him for Naruto! She had only ever dreamed of the day that he showed any interest in her. He needed to show her that he could be the one she dreamed of, too. It wasn't her fault, or even Naruto's. It was his!

 _I'm getting my girl back,_  he thought.  _Period_.

But it wasn't to Hinata's house that he traveled. It was to Naruto's. He needed to confront his friend the proper way first. He didn't bother knocking on the door. He knew Naruto was home. He heard the noises of someone moving about within. He didn't bother opening the door, either. He cocked back one leg and slammed his shoe into the wood, sending the door sailing inward and splintering the frame.

Naruto blinked at him, pausing in the middle of pouring water to make 3 minute cup ramen soup. "Kiba?"

"You," he growled, jabbing his finger in Naruto's direction and then jabbing his thumb over his shoulder. "Outside,  _NOW_."

"What the hell is your problem?" Naruto shouted, setting the hot water cup down.

He grated his teeth, brimming with rage. " _Outside_.  _Now_ ," he rumbled, eyes narrowing.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Alright,  _alright_ already. Jeez." Kiba backed up onto the balcony, giving Naruto room to join him outside his apartment. "Okay, I'm outside now what's soOo impo—" His words were cut off as Kiba's fist slammed into his face, sending him sprawling backward with a splatter of blood and a loud "oomph!" Naruto raised himself off the ground on his elbows, rubbing his jaw, his eyes all the question that was needed.

Kiba towered over him, glaring down. "Alright, Naruto, let's chat. Remember Shino's party?" Naruto nodded. "You stole my girl that day."

"Hinata?" His voice conveyed his cluelessness, confirming the truth that Kiba had anticipated. Naruto had never known.

Kiba nodded. "Did you have any idea?" Naruto shook his head. "Didn't think so. So I'm letting you know now, Hinata's mine. I was with her when you swooped in with your heroic-" He wiggled his fingers dramatically "-I-saved-the-Village act and kissed her and made her forget about her and me, about  _us_. Not fair, and not cool. You're breaking up with her,  _today_. I don't care what you have to say or do to make her leave you, but if you don't, you and I can never be friends ever again, and there's a good chance I might try to actually kill you." He flexed his fingers, itching to do it already.

Naruto picked himself up off the ground slowly, all quiet seriousness, so as not to provoke him any further. "Relax, Kiba," he said gently. "She broke up with me like, two weeks ago."

Now it was Kiba's turn to be surprised. "She did?"

"Yeah, it was really weird. That's why I said she'd been acting weird. I've been trying to get her back for days and couldn't figure out what was going on, but I didn't tell anyone we broke up. I don't really like being the loser. This relationship was weird from the start. She loses all her confidence with me and treats me like I'm some sort of god and like she's nothing. I mean, I like a good ego stroking now and then, but it was kind of ridiculous! I have to keep talking about how awesome she is so that she'll remember. It's like she left and the old Hinata's back. And honestly, her heart was never really in it. She seemed distracted all the time. And then, without any explanation at all, she dumped me. None of us have seen her since. I don't think she's left her room, honestly."

His head was spinning with the information. "Why?" he blurted.

Naruto shook his head and held his hands out in a gesture of surrender, helpless. "Your guess is as good as mine. I'm not a bad guy, I don't think. And by all accounts, she's wanted me for a really long time, you know?" He rubbed his neck, still trying to figure it out.

Well, then. "Oh." He suddenly felt bad for punching Naruto. "Sorry about that, then."

Naruto flashed his trademark grin. "Nah, I deserved it. That will teach me to pay better attention. You'd think I'd know that by now! No problem. But, Kiba?"

"Hm?"

"Can I go now? My ramen is probably ready. Oh, and thanks for helping me fill that three minutes it takes. I totally hate that part." His grin was pure and infectious, and it made Kiba smile, too. Classic Naruto; ramen would always be his first love.

"Sure, Naruto. Thanks for letting me punch you in the face. It actually felt pretty good. I've been wanting to do that for like, seven months. See ya."

They grinned at each other. "Later!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That part with Akamaru was really fun to write, too, especially the part about the Oreos. ^_^ I have a feeling I'm going to reread that scene in years to come and laugh about the comparison to brains. :P Anyway, here's the second turning part to the story. The angst is over. Resolution time! :) Please take a second to review if you would. I will love you forever.


	8. Lunge

It wasn't far from Naruto's to Hinata's. In the short space of time, his mind was reeling. He didn't dare hope, but he did anyway. There was only reason he could possibly ascertain that Hinata had broken up with her hero. The least he could do was learn the truth. He didn't knock on the Hyugas' door, either, but he didn't kick it in like he had Naruto's. He opened and closed it and ignored all the lesser Hyuugas wandering around. They spared him a passing glance, and that was all. Visitors weren't that rare, and they'd seen him here plenty of times before.

He knew exactly where Hinata's room was, having been there dozens of times (though Hiashi always made them keep the door open; Hinata's virginity was very important to him for some reason). He  _did_  knock on  _that_  door. He would always respect her privacy. Heart thundering in his chest, he waited an agonizingly long few seconds as her soft footsteps approached. The door only opened a crack, and her pale eye peeked from within, bleary and puffy from crying. Then it widened and he heard her sharp inhalation of breath. He stabbed a toe in between the door and the frame. "May I come in?" he murmured silkily. He didn't ask any further, just splayed his hand out on the wood and gently shoved it inward. When the door was open enough for him to slide in, she nodded belatedly.

He shoved the door shut with a soft backward kick, not taking his eyes off of her. She had her arms wrapped around herself, seemingly frightened. He understood the body language. She was trying to protect herself from further emotional harm. Guessing that it was because she was beating herself up for hurting him, he crossed the room in two quick strides, pulled her into his embrace, and kissed her. Her arms uncrossed and moved to his back, returning the kiss, like no time at all had passed since their last one.

She was his again. And for that one instant, the entire world stopped moving. Time stopped. No other sounds matter but their heartbeats. No other scent mattered but hers. After a moment, he felt a sigh escape her and she melted into his arms, but he would not let her fall.  _Mine,_ he thought.  _Mine and only mine._

His mother and Hana had been right. He should never have let her think or let her go. He should have fought for her from the beginning, tell her in no uncertain terms that he was not willing to let her go for the entire world. And as soon as Naruto had staked his claim, they should have fought, man to man, with the better man leaving with the prize and the defeated slinking away with his tail between his legs. If he had ever felt that he'd lost out to a better man, he probably wouldn't have sulked so, but instead he'd acted like he'd been kicked, harboring resentment and doing nothing about it. He should have taken her back. It could not have been too difficult if everything Naruto said had been true, that she hadn't been herself when she was with him.

"Never again," he whispered against her lips.

"What?" she asked, breathless.

"I'm never letting you go, not ever." His heart was absolutely singing within his ribs beating every drum in the universe. It was a soul deep song that only she could inspire.

She tensed, and when she spoke, pain laced her voice. "Kiba, I'm so sorry," she lamented, tears rolling down her face.

He wiped them away. "No, none of this. No tears. Not anymore. It's my fault, not yours. When I told you that you had grown into a different woman, I was right. If you were acting differently with Naruto, I should have been there to tell you so and to remind you that I see you as someone better. I wasn't. I was feeling too sorry for myself to bring you back and I just gave you up. A real man wouldn't have done that. He would have held on. I won't do that again."

She huffed a humorless, short laugh. "I told you I was terrible with feelings and relationships," she said helplessly. "I didn't know how I felt. About you, or about Naruto, or even about myself. I was so confused. The way I felt about you two was so different! When I was with you, I thought I loved you. When I was with him, it was like dreaming, and I thought I loved him, too. Then I felt horrible about myself, and I never had  _any_  fun, and... I just didn't understand any of it!"

He hugged her. "I know, princess. It was easier than that, though, wasn't it?"

She knew what he meant. Something had always been missing when she wasn't with him. "Yes, you're absolutely right. I missed you. I missed you the whole time. It wasn't even the kissing; life just wasn't the same without you in it."

He kissed her again, wrapping one arm around her legs and scooping her up into his arms. She looped her arms around his neck, then broke the kiss and rested her head against his shoulder with a contented sigh. He was taking her with him, and no way was he ever going to let her leave his side again. Woe betide the man who stood in his way...

...and then Neji ran into them on their way out the front door. Confusion registered in his pale eyes. "What the…?" His gaze shot between Kiba to Hinata and back again. While Kiba and Hinata's relationship had been pretty quiet, Naruto and Hinata's relationship had been rather loud. Neji was one of the few who had known that both relationships had even happened, but this was a new development in the case. Any number of thoughts could be in the older Hyuga's head.

Kiba shot him a glare, daring him to challenge his claim on Neji's cousin. "Don't even say it, Hyuga," he growled menacingly. "I'm taking her with me whether you like it or not, and heavens help the man who tries to stop me  _this_  time. I will seriously fucking kill you if you try." He widened his stance, preparing himself, as if Neji might actually try to fight him as he held Hinata aloft.

A grin played on Neji's lips. He tried very hard not to smile, then dipped in a low bow and took a step back to let him pass. "By all means, Kiba. I'll let her father know that she's out for the night. He'll be pleased she has finished her moping. For the record, I think you and she are a more balanced match. She's all yours."

Kiba eased around Neji warily, still ready in case it was a trick. "Yes," he stated flatly. "Yes, she is." As they left Neji far behind and walked out the gate to the Hyuga grounds, he poked her on the nose. "And no more moping, Miss Hyuga. I've got a surprise for you."

"I don't really handle surprises very well," she cautioned against his chest.

"You'll like this one. I'm sure of it." He held her more tightly, relishing the feel of her pressed against his chest. It'd been so long since he could just hold her. He liked feeling her warmth against him.

"Okay, Kiba. I trust you."

As simple as that. He smiled, more to himself than anyone.

He set her down just outside Senju's. She looked at him, questioning his motive. He could read the question in her eyes:  _Senju's isn't really a surprise. What are you up to?_ He shot a grin back to her and held the door open for her. She thanked him and stepped indoors.

Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru were still there, but Ino was long past tipsy and Choji and Shikamaru were nurturing a perfect buzz as usual. Those two had drinking perfected; they knew how to hold their buzz at its best point, only adding enough alcohol to keep it going all night long. At some point, the rest of their friends had all joined them. Even Naruto. Whether or not his energetic blonde friend had relayed the details about their encounter or not was kind of a mystery. With Naruto, that meant that Lee, Tenten, Naruto, Sakura, Sai, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, and even Shino were among them. Guy and Kakashi were there, too, a little further down the bar drinking like only they could-meaning Guy was attempting to turn it into a contest and Kakashi was wisely losing on purpose. He could not have planned this better if he tried.

He grasped Hinata's hand and made his way toward the bar. Ino noticed him first, as usual; very little gossip-worthy news escaped her. "Well, well, guys. Look who it is!"

All their heads turned, regarding the new arrivals from over their shoulders, drinks in hand. A few sets of eyes popped; again, Kiba's relationship with Hinata had never been common knowledge. Most people thought she was still dating Naruto. They would never think so again, not after tonight. A spattering of greetings emerged from his friends, but the question was there:  _When did those two start seeing each other? What's going on?_

Hinata smiled shyly and greeted them back. Kiba was all smiles and victorious looks. He had won this game. Now it was time for the finishing move. "Hey guys!" he called. "I've got something to say." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Iago making his way toward them, drawn by the stares and the spectacle. "As a lot of you probably know, I've been... well, I've been a little bit of a mess lately. You see, something happened to me a while ago that kind of ruined all my plans for the future, and I know I didn't really handle it well. I want to give a special thank you to Shikamaru-" he nodded in his direction, and Shikamaru held his glass up to acknowledge. Kiba could bet and probably win that Shikamaru had already guessed what was happening here. "-for helping me get my head out of my ass. What happened was, I was totally in love with  _this_  really amazing woman, and I didn't let her know soon enough just how important she was to me. I fucked up.

"I'm tired of fucking up, and it took something this big to make me realize that if I wanted something bad enough, I needed to be a man and do something about it. Well. I'm going to do something about it. Tonight. Now. I want you all to know that this woman, Hinata Hyuga, is  _my_  girlfriend." He met every man's eyes in the bar, daring them to contradict the claim. When he was satisfied that no male would ever be trying to step in between him and Hinata ever again, he nodded to himself and took a deep breath. He turned to her then. She was blushing from all the attention. A large public scene was really not her kind of thing, but he felt it was necessarily appropriate. With this many witnesses, there would never again be a doubt as to who was dating whom. He pulled her into his body, wrapped her up tight, and kissed her like he meant it. The whole bar, including the patrons who weren't his friends, whooped and hollered and whistled and applauded with gusto. "No," he whispered, breaking the kiss. "That's not quite right, either." He dropped down to one knee and pulled the box from his pocket, at long last for its true purpose.

Hinata gasped, eyes wide. The bar collectively held its breath, all cheering silenced immediately as if cut.

"Hinata," he said quietly, "All this time, I've loved you. My life needs you in it. Will you share it with me, and honor me by being my wife?"

He expected her to be shy. He expected her to stutter or not be able to say anything. He knew he was putting her on the spot. He had asked in public and everyone was watching. He half expected her to faint. He did not expect to be pounced. Before he knew what was happening, he was on his back and she was straddling his waist, peppering his face with kisses. Senju's erupted in a roar of cheers. "Is that a yes, then?" he laughed into her ear.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!" she laughed as she stopped kissing him, her hair curtaining them in their own private booth. "Yes, that's a yes. I can't think of anything in the world I want more."

He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her again. After, he made sure the ring got onto her finger. While she was inspecting it, he spun his hand in the air, the universal sign for 'free alcohol everywhere.' "A round for everyone, on me!" His friends cheered the loudest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, before you jump me with questions, no I am not writing a wedding. That sounds intensely boring to me. :P I hope you enjoyed the fluffy proposal scene, though. One more chapter to go!


	9. Chorus

Iago unlocked the jukebox, so it played music for free all night. He also unlocked the pool table, so that was free all night, too. Hinata beat everyone who even attempted to face her in it, but everyone wanted to try anyway. As the night wore on, more and more people showed up to Senju's. News apparently traveled pretty fast. While Hinata played pool with everyone in the bar who dared, he hung out with the Shinobi up at the bar.

"Congratulations, Kiba!" most of them said, clapping his shoulder or shaking his hand. Some of them insisted on buying him drinks, and before long, he was coaxing a good buzz, too. He needed to do something before the night was over, though, so he rose unsteadily to his feet.

There were four people he really needed to talk to tonight.

"Kiba," Iago said with a grin and a nod. "Glad to hear you got the girl. I've never had anyone die in my bar and I was really worried you'd be the first."

He smiled sheepishly. "Thanks for putting up with me, Iago. Sorry about that."

"No problem. I'm just glad it all worked out. I'm proud to have provided a place for your first date." He winked at him. "Best of luck to you both."

"Thanks! Want to bartend for the wedding?"

"Do I  _want_  to? You had better let me! I feel as if I've earned it at this point." They shared a laugh.

Shino was off in the corner already, sulking. No doubt he thought that this was the absolute end of their team being a team. "Shino," Kiba said, interrupting the strange guy's brooding. "I have something to ask of you."

"Of course you do," Shino said bitterly, leaning his arms on his knees, slumping. "Everyone remembers me when they need something."

Kiba sighed and sat next to him. "Shino, if you don't want to be my best man, I understand, but-"

He perked up. "Best man?"

Kiba smiled slyly at him. "Well yeah. You're the obvious choice, Shino. You've been a great teammate, a reliable friend, and besides, you mean a lot to Hinata and me both."

"I... I do?"

Poor Shino. The guy was always being left out. "Of course, Shino. I mean, I don't want to sound gay or anything, but I love you, man." He clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder.

Shino looked away. There was a long pause. "Thanks, Kiba. That really means a lot to me."

"You earned it, a hundred times over. There's no one I'd rather have watching my back for me. I know you'll be a great best man. Now come on and hang out with the rest of us before people think you're antisocial."

"But... I am antisocial," he muttered, obeying. They rejoined the ranks at the bar. By now everyone was fairly hammered unless they were just arriving, or unless they were amazing like Choji and Shikamaru. The latter caught his eyes and smirked. Classic Shikamaru. A lot of knowing traveled between them. Then Kiba slid in between him and Choji, standing between their bar stools. Shikamaru signaled Iago, and before he knew it, there was a Storm King on the bar in front of him. "I was kind of worried you were going to ask me to be your best man," Shikamaru said.

Kiba raised an eyebrow at him. "I was kind of worried you'd be mad that I didn't, actually. You had a really big part in all of this, too."

Shikamaru leaned an arm on the back of the stool and raised an eyebrow back at him. "Me, planning a bachelor party? Are you crazy? That's way too much work. Besides, Shino deserves it. I might have had a big role in this, but that's all recent. Shino's been at your back forever." Kiba nodded, glad that Shikamaru understood; of course he understood, though. Shikamaru missed absolutely nothing. "Who else you want standing up there?" he asked.

"You, Choji, Neji, and Naruto, if he'll do it."

"Naruto will do it. He's one of the most understanding people I've ever met. You should talk to him. What about Akamaru?"

"He won't want to be in it. He doesn't like sitting still for that long, nor does he like crowds. He'll be there, but he doesn't really get ceremonial things like this. In his mind, Hinata and I are together, and the idea of making it official doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to a dog. It's a human thing, you know?"

"Ahh," Shikamaru said. "We'll talk more at home. You should go talk to Naruto."

Naruto was also in the corner being antisocial. On his face was a mix of sadness and happiness. Kiba felt that both emotions were justified. He just sat down next to Naruto with his Storm King and waited. Naruto was not drinking at all.

"You know," Naruto began on a sigh, "when I finally asked her out, I was in love with her, too. I shouldn't have taken so long, I know. There was always so much going on. I'd always think to myself, 'I can talk to her next week,' and then I'd be busy again. Before I knew it, years had passed and I still hadn't talked to her about that confession of hers. Do you have any idea what it feels like for a girl to tell you she loves you, right before she saves your life? I'm usually the one saving people... I still wasn't in love with her then. But I was really flattered."

Kiba said nothing, and just let him speak. "I just never got the chance to talk to her alone. I started to love her when we started hanging out here. She didn't come with us very often, but when she did, all I could think about was the day she had saved me. I paid more attention to her from then on. I saw the things you must have always seen as her teammate. I saw the way she was always caring about others, and putting them first. I know that's the reason she became strong. I saw how just because she was quiet didn't mean she was boring. She wasn't hiding anything, she was just saving it for whoever cared enough to find out. Most importantly, I saw that every tiny movement she made, every word, every action, every look, no matter who it was directed at... all of it was full of pure, true, unconditional love, for everyone. And I  _wanted_  it. Oh, how I wanted that look to be for me."

Kiba knew it well. He'd felt that same thing. Naruto continued, "But then, when we started dating, that look went away, and it made me sad and frustrated. I thought for sure that, since she'd finally gotten to be with me like she had always wanted, she'd be even happier. I could never understand why I couldn't keep her happy. Today, when you were here, and I came here, too, and you left, I still didn't have any idea. Asuma's students over there clued me in on why you've been so bummed out, and I felt like a real dick. How did I miss that? I always feel like such an idiot. Hinata, as much as I  _still_  love her, made me feel helpless and like an idiot at the same time, and I couldn't fix it. Come to think of it, I don't know why you didn't punch me in the face sooner, but it's whatever."

Naruto finally met his eyes. The sorrow was still there, deep in the blue of his irises, but there was acceptance, too. "She never was really mine. She was always yours. I'd give anything to see her happy again, to see her look at everyone with love. The only time I felt like she loved me was when she was  _not_  with me. I'll find someone to look at me, only me, like that someday. Don't think about me. Take care of her, Kiba. If there's anyone in the world that deserves to feel special all the time, it's Hinata."

Both men looked away, and their eyes found the newly engaged Hyuga, her pale lavender eyes shining as she sank the black ball on the pool table for the Nth time. There was a wicked sparkle in them as the next challenger accepted the cue from the recent loser. Hinata's smile was radiant, completely in her element, and everyone was watching her. She stole the show tonight; for once in her life, she was the epicenter of attention, just as she should have been, and she was actually enjoying it. Without knowing it, both men smiled as if it were a show for him alone. Naruto banished his before it could be seen, though, and Kiba missed it. "Naruto," Kiba said gravely. "I want you to be there. I want you to be in it, if you want to."

Naruto looked at his friend, eyes wide with astonishment. "You sure?"

Kiba nodded, still enraptured by his fiancee. "Yes, I'm sure. You're still one of my best friends, Naruto, no matter what happened between us. And, you're still important to us both."

Naruto thought about it for a moment, and then he smiled, finally more at ease. "Thanks, Kiba. I'd be honored to be in it."

Kiba slapped Naruto on the back and grinned. "Thanks. Now have a drink, you're bumming me out." He stood and raised his hand in the air to get Iago's attention. When Iago tipped his chin up to show he had seen, Kiba pointed downward to the top of Naruto's head. Iago smiled and nodded, and in moments Naruto held his familiar Dark and Stormy. The Naruto smile was back on his face, if a bit subdued, and everything was more or less back to normal.

And then, suddenly there was a piercing howl that split the air, cutting through the sounds of celebration within. Slowly, the people in the bar hushed to hear the origin of the sound. Kiba, of course, recognized it immediately. "Akamaru," he said to himself with a smile. He opened the door and stepped outside, and there was his buddy, sitting back on his haunches in the street, nose tipped to the sky. Like shadows, he was joined by four other shapes, and they four lent their voices to his in a chorus of joy and adventure. Their lilting, haunting voices filled the air as the people at Senju's poured out onto the street. Then, Tsume and Hana arrived a moment later, crouched down with a hand cupped to their lips. They crowed out their wild female melodies, adding a streak of wantonness to the chorus. Kiba turned and caught Hinata's eyes, unable to stop the lazy smile that spread across his face. He walked backwards, never taking his eyes off of her. She giggled, and then he threw back his head and howled louder than them all.

The Inuzukas were celebrating.

As if they'd planned it, the whole song cut off abruptly, and Akamaru took his rightful place at Kiba's side. Tsume and Hana approached him, dogs in tow. "Hm," his mother mused. "I'm a little disappointed I had to hear about this from Akamaru, Kiba."

Hana elbowed her mother. "Oh, give it up, Mom. You're just mad that I won another bet."

Kiba raised an eyebrow. "Another bet about my personal life, huh? Am I sideshow freak?"

"May as well be," Hana teased. "Everyone knows your business now."

"Good!" Kiba laughed. "Didn't you see the mess I got into when they didn't?"

"I did say I told you so," Tsume added. "But what the hell. Congratulations, puppy." She whipped out a hand before he could stop her and pulled him in tight for a hug, rubbing his head with her fist. He fought to get free, but couldn't.

And then Hana, unable to contain herself, tackled them both into the dirt and began a wrestling match as the dogs danced and yipped, cheering for their respective humans.

And then Hinata, surprising them all, cupped her hands to her mouth and whooped "DOG PILE!" before she tossed her body onto the mess and became embroiled in the wrestling, too.

"Jerk!"

"Wretched bitch!"

"Mangy mutt!"

"Skank!"

"Oh, you did NOT!"

"I DID!"

"Get your ass off me, or I'll bite you on it!"

Yelp. "OH MY GOD SHE BIT ME! YOUR FIANCEE FRIGGIN BIT ME!"

"I told you!"

"KIBA! PUT A LEASH ON YOUR BITCH!"

"Oh, HELL no!"

"SHE BIT ME AGAIN!"

"THEN STOP DESERVING IT!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's the end. It was a lot of fun writing it! A few moments of your time to post a review would be greatly appreciated. So many people judge a story by its number of reviews...
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
